West Bengal CM and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee has wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to postpone the implementation of three criminal laws, which are going to implement in the country from July 1.
In a letter to the PM, Banerjee said the deferment would enable a fresh parliamentary review of criminal laws. The new laws are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNA), 2023, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 and The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023. The newly enacted laws will replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
Mamata Banerjee stated that these critical bills were passed unilaterally by the outgoing government on December 20th last year, without any proper debate. She highlighted the fact that nearly 100 members of the Lok Sabha were suspended, and a total of 146 MPs from both Houses were expelled from the Parliament. She described the passage of the bills as an authoritarian act that took place during a dark hour for democracy and called for a review of the matter. The three laws got the Parliament's approval on December 21, 2023 during the winter session. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25.
TMC Supremo also reminded PM Modi about two letters written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighting why extreme caution and due diligence are required in the matter. She had also suggested that the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha should deliberate upon these crucial legislations and reach a consensus.